CURRENT CASSIS.

• Author: Wolfe, Liz
• Position: FOOD

In 1911. the logging industry lobbied for a national ban on black currants, arguing that they were hosts for certain forms of fungal diseases that threatened pine trees. The lobbyists succeeded in passing this prohibition, but botanists developed disease-resistant varieties of the berries as the century progressed. The feds eventually allowed states to legalize the plants, and various states started doing so in the '60s. New York only repealed its ban in 2003.

The use of black currants in cocktails has lagged, as delicious domestically produced liqueurs are still hard to come by. That makes Current Cassis, a new small-batch product from the...